Today marks a brand new chapter for HODINKEE, and I hope for the way watches are sold around the world. The thing about us – and I stress us, because HODINKEE is now 25 people strong – is that all we've ever wanted is to make more people fall in love with watches. Good watches. The watches that we've spent the last nine years writing about. And, to date, I think we've done a pretty damn good job. We've published over 5,000 stories about them on hodinkee.com alone and dozens of other stories for other websites, magazines, and newspapers. Since we launched our e-commerce platform – the HODINKEE Shop – over five years ago, we've sold thousands of straps, accessories, and books in hopes of giving consumers the tools to love and understand their timepieces even better. Since we re-launched our vintage watch platform, we've sold hundreds of great vintage watches to new fans all over the world and increased both transparency and customer service, with cash-back return periods and free overnight insured shipping.

And while I started HODINKEE out of a pure love of watches and the act of storytelling, we've grown up quite a bit. Never did I think this little site would become a business, but when life gives you an opportunity to do something special, it's a mistake to not pursue it. Since 2015, we've been working with the best watch brands in the world to conceive great products for you. Today, we take it one step further.

HODINKEE has collaborated on seven different limited editions. Scroll through to see them all.

HODINKEE has collaborated on seven different limited editions. Scroll through to see them all.

HODINKEE has collaborated on seven different limited editions. Scroll through to see them all.

HODINKEE has collaborated on seven different limited editions. Scroll through to see them all.

HODINKEE has collaborated on seven different limited editions. Scroll through to see them all.

HODINKEE has collaborated on seven different limited editions. Scroll through to see them all.

HODINKEE has collaborated on seven different limited editions. Scroll through to see them all.

The seven limited editions we've created with MB&F, Zenith, NOMOS, Vacheron Constantin, Ressence, TAG Heuer, and Laurent Ferrier were all sold right here on the HODINKEE Shop. And the results were shocking – for us, and for our partners. Would you believe that over a third of our sales took place via our mobile app? The majority of the watches were sold to consumers with whom the HODINKEE team had zero physical interaction, and most buyers did not even see the watch in the metal before hitting "purchase." And yet, we were able to sell 331 brand new watches for over $4 million, online. We sold a $172,000 Paul Newman Daytona via Apple Pay earlier this year to a client in the middle of the United States – we had not met him either.

In talking with the folks at Christie's, Phillips, and Sotheby's, the number of online bids for watches above $100,000 has increased about five-fold over the past few years. Cartier went ahead and launched its new Panthère on Net-A-Porter. Our friends at Mr. Porter now stock a nice range of modern watches as well. It's clear that people are ready to buy watches online, and we are thrilled to be helping to lead that push.

And while the once-constant expansion of watches worldwide has slowed down over the past few years, HODINKEE has continued to grow at a rapid pace. In fact, over the past 24 months, our number of monthly unique readers and page views has almost doubled. Traffic to the HODINKEE Shop has quadrupled. We've launched our own dynamic iOS app, we've built our own community system (both designed and developed completely in-house by us in New York City), we've continued to hire the besteditors in the world, and we've launched the print product that we think great watches deserve. At this point, HODINKEE is as much a tech company as it is a media company as it is a commerce company. Let's talk a bit about where we began though before we go into where we're heading.

Editorial First And Foremost

HODINKEE began as a personal adventure into watchmaking. It has expanded to be among the finest platforms for watch knowledge – both old and new – in the world. And that has been purposeful. We made a decision early on to invest in high quality video. Will Holloway, who I met in the halls of Columbia Journalism School, was our second employee and has grown to become a force in the creative editorial vision of HODINKEE. He's the man behind all of Talking Watches, and now the director of content for the site. His team now includes a brilliant young producer who joined us this year from the Atlantic, Greyson Korhonen. Stephen Pulvirent, our Managing Editor, was actually our first hire, and after two years reporting for Bloomberg and Surface, he rejoined us last year. His impact on this company is felt by the minute and I can say with certainty that we wouldn't be anywhere as far as we are without him. In 2015, we added Cara Barrett from Sotheby's, Nick Manousos as our Technical Editor, and shortly thereafter, the one-and-only Jack Forster joined the team. Jack is our Editor-in-Chief, and, well, I don't need to say much more about him because he's a certifiable #legend. Since then, we brought on a stalwart of high-quality watch journalism in the United States, Jonathan Bues, as Senior Editor. Finally, just a few months ago, we added another horological hero to the ranks with the addition of Joe Thompson as Editor-At-Large.

Including Founder/CEO Ben Clymer, the HODINKEE Team includes nine full-time editors, producers, and writers.

We have six full-time editors/writers plus two full-time digital producers on staff working out of our New York office. And this doesn't cover the dozen or so regular freelancers that include the likes of Jason Heaton, Justin Hast, Andrew Hildreth, John Mayer, Anders Modig, James Stacey, Jeff Stein, and more. If there is a more competent, varied, or skilled team of editors – in not just the watch space, but the entire luxury segment – I'd like to meet them.

The HODINKEE Magazine was launched in fall of 2017, and was produced entirely in-house.

It was the strength of our team that led us to launch the very first issue of HODINKEE Magazine earlier this fall. Included in this inaugural issue was a detailed, behind-the-scenes story of what would become the most expensive wristwatch in the world – the Paul Newman Daytona. We have stories by chef Alton Brown, by musician John Mayer and Patek Philippe's Thierry Stern, by Facebook's Matt Jacobson, by Basecamp's Jason Fried, and by legendary collector John Goldberger. The entire magazine was written and photographed by HODINKEE employees and long-term friends of the show. It is, we believe, the magazine that collectors of fine watches deserve, with attention paid to the details in every aspect of production, from the writing and photography to the binding and paper stock. It turns out our readers agreed.

If it looks to you like our editorial endeavors are firing on all cylinders, you're right. And this decision, to double-down even further on producing unrivaled content, has been conscious. We know how much our editorial coverage means to you, and you can be sure that nothing will change. We will continue to write about things we like and ignore the rest, just as we always have. And those fantastic editors that you love so much will never be told to write (or not write) anything at all, just as it is today. In fact, we hope that the move we are announcing today will actually increase transparency about our relationships with watch brands and other players in the industry. You know who we work with, you know who we don't – it's up to you to decide what to read, but we've found that the vast majority of our readership simply loves the content that we produce. If you're a fan of great writing, great photography, and great videos, get ready for some special things coming your way very soon.

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Why HODINKEE, Why Now

Launching the HODINKEE Shop as one of the first authorized retailers online was a decision that I, frankly, never thought we would have the opportunity to make. For years, we've been propositioned by brands and retailers to become an affiliate of their online stores – the money was good, but we declined. We did so because we've always believed in doing things the right way, and until recently, we weren't sure we could deliver on something we would feel comfortable putting out there to the many thousands of watch lovers that now depend on HODINKEE.

Once the decision was made though, we sat around a table in our office and every single watch lover in our company was encouraged to take turns talking about the worst thing they'd seen in the watch buying process. Terms like "stuffy," "old," and "slow" were all mentioned. We expanded our sample size and started talking to readers at our events, and even buyers of our watches and accessories. They told us that buying a watch through some retailers felt like "a race to who could discount the most." Also, the term "luxury" means something completely different today than it did even just a few years ago. Now, luxury to me means overnight delivery and the ability to purchase from a fast, well-designed, native iOS app. Champagne and caviar is fun the first time, and it still might get a certain type of buyer excited about a watch, but for me, and for many HODINKEE readers, we know everything about the product already, and we just want the experience to be as easy and painless as possible.

Imagine being able to buy the best Longines watches with Apple Pay. Now you can.

We were told that after reading HODINKEE, few watch salespeople could even hold a conversation with these customers about the latest releases. In most cases, people expressed frustration that they were buying a watch from someone who simply didn't care as much or know the first thing about what they were selling. It was just a job to them. It made me think of a line I once heard from a friend who was, at the time, the CEO of Tourneau. He told me: "Ben, HODINKEE is the best thing to ever happen to us, and the worst. More young people care about watches than ever before, but because of you, they know more than our salespeople."

HODINKEE is the best thing to ever happen to us, and the worst. More young people care about watches than ever before, but because of you, they know more than our salespeople."

– Jim Seuss, Former CEO of Tourneau

Now, imagine if the same people that helped inform a new generation of watch lovers about what makes a great watch great tackled the retail world, with the same attention to detail, and the same focus on what is important to include and to exclude – just like what we've done for nine years on the editorial side. That is exactly what we've done with the new HODINKEE Shop.

What Makes This Different

We've taken the same approach to commerce as we have with editorial. Less is more.

Now, I want to be clear about one thing – there are several great watch retailers out there. We've supported them from the beginning and we will continue to do so. We know what we represent is not for everyone, and there will likely be a certain percentage of the watch buying world that cares more about price than experience, and wants to see every single watch from a manufacturer on their wrist before making a final buying decision. That's not what you'll find in the new HODINKEE Shop, however, and we think that's a great thing.

Only The Good Stuff

Grand Seiko is among our launch partners and we'll be showing you some of its core collection.

We've worked with TAG Heuer to find some of its rarest and most sought-after watches of the modern era.

Here's the thing about watches today: a lot of 'em kinda suck. And we know that. That's why over on the editorial side of HODINKEE, you just see stories about the good ones. Why waste your time (and our own) covering things that simply aren't worthy of coverage? You don't see Vogue featuring mediocre designers simply to pan their products. We've always been about celebrating the best and ignoring the rest. With our selection of modern watches, we've taken the same approach. We'll be working with eight great brands at launch, and from each we've taken only a small handful of models. These launch partners include Grand Seiko, Longines, NOMOS Glashütte, Oris, Ressence, TAG Heuer, Vacheron Constantin, and Zenith. But again, you're not going to be seeing every watch from each of these brands' catalog on here, just the stuff that we really love and think will resonate with you.

With Vacheron Constantin, you'll find the Historiques collection that pays homage the great watches of yesteryear.

In other words, we've done the work for you. If you walk into any given retailer, you'll see dozens of references across myriad tastes and styles. On the HODINKEE Shop, you'll see stuff that we like. Nothing else. I can't think of another modern watch retailer that takes this approach and still delivers a wide range of products. And that's it – I don't want you to think we'll only be focusing on the very high-end. Yes, we'll have the incredible Historiques line from Vacheron Constantin and some amazing avante garde pieces from Ressence, but we'll also be carrying some seldom-seen TAG Heuer and Zenith models. We'll have the very core offerings from what many watch lovers know is one of the best watches for the money in Grand Seiko, and we have some amazing vintage-inspired watches from Longines and Oris. Oh, and NOMOS – we have to have NOMOS, right?

We've included a small sampling of our favorite vintage-inspired Longines. And more are coming very soon.

We're kicking off the new HODINKEE Shop with some classics that we know you'll love, and we've got a schedule of additions already planned to keep things fresh for you. They'll be rolling out over the coming weeks and months. And to stay in the loop (or is it loupe?) on these new additions, all you have to do is download the HODINKEE app. No calling your local authorized dealer to find a salesperson that doesn't know the difference between a SBGR253 and a SBGR257. No worrying if the guy online who says he has a particular watch really has the watch (and if he does, is it real and actually new).

This is 2017, and it's time for the watch world to start acting like it.

It's About Making Things Better, Really

Did you take a look at those photos up above? Pretty incredible, right? Yeah, we shot every single of of those, for all of our 100+ SKUs across varying dial colors and strap types. And we did it ourselves, in-house in New York City, with watch experts keeping a careful eye on every single bevel and every mirror-polished hand. If you look at other websites that sell watches, including some at the very high-end, the photography is miserable. And that's if you can even call it photography – most use manufacturer-supplied renderings. Others have retouched the soul out of the images so that they feel more like cartoons than watches. Instead, we're providing real warmth and depth with our images, so you get a great idea of what it is you'll be wearing each day. Of course, we took the same care with a $1,750 Oris as we did with a $56,000 Vacheron chronograph, because all watches should be celebrated.

In addition to category-leading photography, each watch features an in-depth description written by an actual watch expert – someone who knows how to frame a piece in the proper context of watch buying. But this is us, so we'll tell you what it is and what it isn't, always. Each watch includes a wrist shot, and what's more, you can even use the HODINKEE iOS app to see the actual size of the watch next to your wrist. It's pretty great, and every single watch we sell will be available to view this way. Because while some retailers rely on consumers knowing as little about watches as possible, we want our customers to know as much as possible. When the package arrives the next day, there are no surprises (free expedited, insured shipping world-wide is included with every watch purchase, by the way).

Our team of designers and engineers has helped make the experience lighthearted as well. You can take a short quiz, answer a series of questions, and in seconds we will propose a selection of new watches that we think will suit you and your taste. But of course, you can filter timepieces using a range of criteria, including size, price and brand too.

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Going the Extra Mile

This is where things get even better. As I said, we surveyed our entire team and dozens of our readers about those moments in watch buying that they simply couldn't believe were real. The moments where we stopped and thought to ourselves, "it's a wonder that people still care about watches at all when you're treated this way." Any serious watch buyer has had moments like this. When you are dying to spend $5,000 on a new watch and a dealer won't even take down your name on the waitlist. Or after you just spent $20,000 on a watch, ask for it to be shipped somewhere, and the seller says, "Sure, that'll be $250." Really?

With the HODINKEE Shop, it is our goal to make watch buying fun and easy. This way people will care about watches for years to come, because lets remember, and we are the first to admit it, nobody needs a watch anymore. So the entire experience should be fun, not frustrating. As such, every watch you see in the new HODINKEE Shop will ship same day and insured to anywhere in the world. In the United States that means overnight service and internationally we'll get the watch to you as quickly as a courier can move. Because who wants to wait? And who would have the gall to charge a shipping cost after someone just saved up their hard-earned money and decided to spend it with you on a watch? Not us.

What's more, every single watch will come with a certified insurance appraisal. There's no need to pay an independent appraiser $250 for some paperwork you're just going to send to your insurance company – we've got you covered. Oh, and we're gonna go ahead and give you an additional year of warranty coverage, on us. That means you'll get the manufacturers warranty – usually two or three years depending on brand – plus an additional 12 months covered by HODINKEE. You deserve it and we're excited you're choosing to shop with us.

The HODINKEE Shop will stores all customers paperwork digitally so there is no risk of loss.

As I mentioned above, HODINKEE has a team of incredible designers and developers in-house, so we've gone ahead and created not only a great shopping experience, but also a great ownership experience. You know how people always want to know if a watch still has its original paperwork? Well, with the HODINKEE Shop, we'll keep digital copies of all of that for you. This includes your manufacturer's warranty, your additional HODINKEE warranty, your insurance appraisal, and your sales receipt. You don't have to do a thing, they'll be stored in your HODINKEE Shop account automatically. If you ever need them, you have them in a digital file, ready to go, wherever you are.

What Else? Lots.

Now to be clear, we know that some people will always enjoy seeing a watch in the metal before buying. That's cool – we know this won't be for everyone. But it's kinda better that way, because HODINKEE has never been about pleasing everyone – it's been about working to celebrate those that want to make things better and ignoring the rest. We have love and respect for so many watch companies and retailers out there, and we've been doing our part for the past nine years to make sure they survive. Launching the HODINKEE Shop as an authorized retailer is just the next step in this, encouraging everyone to be a little bit more thoughtful in how the industry treats its customers. We've seen that the watch world is not invincible, so let's make sure we push each other to make the whole industry more inviting, friendly, and enjoyable. I don't think anyone can argue with that.